You are blessed with a big family, including all the pets! But definitely, not all the time especially when considering whether to invest in an expensive wooden floor or not. That is right, having pets and wood floor installed may seem like mission impossible, or at least like a serious struggle. What about all the enthusiasm your dog goes through every day you come back from work? What about the scratches from those happy clutches? What about the moment your cat decides that the wooden floor is the perfect place to get her nails done? Well, do you know what? Your home is a place to live in and feel comfortable – you and every member of your family, no matter if human or not. A home is not to be admired on a shelf and it has to serve you with loyalty and comfort, not tip-over. So, yes, wooden floors are completely suitable for families with pets… well, under some conditions! Let’s have a look at what you have to do to maintain a happy pet and a happy house at the same time!
Trim those nails
It sounds obvious, but we often forget that your dog’s and cat’s nails have to be trimmed and filed regularly to avoid them being tempted to scratch the surface of the hardwood floor. This is especially important for larger dogs since they carry more weight and can leave deeper scratches. In case your dog is hyper-energetic and loves to run around the entire house, then you can consider installing dog gates around the house.
What about a bath?
Dogs and cats love to spend their time outside. But when it is time for lunch, they are the first to come back home and they come back not alone! Pets will bring a lot of dirt, grime and dust inside the house. Place a mat or rug in the front doorways, so you can make sure a part of the dirt and grime is captured. But this will not help that much, so it is important to make sure your dog is well-bathed now and then.
Rugs
As we have already mentioned, rugs are important when you have pets. Place a mat at the doorway, place a rug whenever your dog and cat love to play around and where high traffic is expected, and place a mat underneath where your pets eat and drink water to prevent spills.
The denser the better
In general, denser hardwoods have a bigger chance to survive a house full of pets and young children, because they won’t show scratches and other issues that heavily. The ideal choice would be a hardwood Hickory because it is heavy and has a lighter colour that contributes a lot to camouflaging small imperfections.
And there you have it! The perfect habitat for both your favourite pets and your favourite wooden floor! Enjoy!
